Some 100 militant women yesterday staged a cooking show protest in Mendiola to symbolize the State of the Women Address as part of the week-long protest ahead of President Aquino’s third State of the Nation Address (Sona) on July 23.
“The women’s situation under Aquino is no different from the previous administrations. It even got worse,”  Gabriela-National Capital Region spokesman Ian Arevalo said.
In a prepared statement the militant women’s organization cited the ominous situation under the Aquino administration such as lack of quality and affordable healthcare system, hikes in prices of oil and basic commodities,  joblessness, continuous demolitions, implementation of K+12 program, discrimination and violence against women and children, among other things.
“Instead of addressing the needs of women and children, the Aquino administration is making a recipe for destruction by being consistent in its program to privatize social services, especially public hospitals, pursue K+12 program despite protests and permit price hikes. These are but a few of the concoctions made to aggravate the already dire life of the Filipinas,” Arevalo said.
As their symbolic protest, they wore a chef’s uniform while cooking the recipe. Their calls and demands needed by women to live a decent life were put on vegetables in observation of the Nutrition Month to show how women ensure the right sustenance needed by women and the Filipino family.
Two other protesters will wear a mask of Uncle Sam and Noynoy Aquino and will be pigging out the food prepared by the chefs. They will then swarm and heckle Uncle Sam and Aquino for depriving and cheating the Filipinos in the “tuwid na daan.”
“With Aquino’s continuous stance on pushing this recipe for disaster, the women truly have nothing to expect on his third Sona. All his promises are nothing more but spoiled food. He has become the waiter of his US master whom he is very willing to serve at the expense of the families whose stomachs and rights are being starved,” she said.
The group will join the thousands who will be mobilized during Aquino’s third Sona on Monday.
“Let this be a warning to the Aquino administration and his master. Gluttony has its price and they will pay their dues to the people soon,” she she stressed.